One of the greatest challenges in waterfowl hunting is attracting waterfowl to within gunshot range of the hunter. To attract waterfowl, hunters typically place a spread of floating decoys on the surface of a body of water adjacent to the hunters' blind. Waterfowl flying over a spread of decoys are often hesitant about lighting on the water, especially if the fowl see anything in or near the water that appears out of the ordinary. In many instances, "undecided" fowl become less hesitant to set down if they see one of their own, or at least what they perceive to be one of their own, set down in the water first. There is currently no known waterfowl decoy system that simulates a waterfowl flying in and setting down on the surface of the water.
The foregoing and other needs are met by an apparatus for simulating a waterfowl in flight. The apparatus includes a pulley disposed at a first position having a first elevation relative to a surface of a body of water. A motor is disposed at a second position having a second elevation relative to the surface of the body of water, where the first and second positions are horizontally spaced apart by a separation distance. The motor includes a drive shaft operable to rotate in response to torque produced by the motor. A capstan is attached to the drive shaft of the motor for rotating in response to the rotation of the drive shaft. The apparatus includes a loop of flexible line formed into an oval having first and second ends. The first end of the oval is looped over the pulley and the second and is looped over the capstan, such that the loop is held in tension between the pulley and the capstan. Attached to the flexible line is a waterfowl decoy made of buoyant material shaped to resemble a type of waterfowl. The apparatus includes a motor controller disposed remotely from the motor for controlling operation of the motor from a remote location.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method for simulating a waterfowl in flight. The method includes providing first and second rotational support structures disposed at first and second positions having first and second elevations, respectively, relative to a surface of a body of water, where the first and second positions are horizontally spaced apart by a separation distance. A loop of flexible line is supported in tension between the first and second positions by looping the line about the first and second rotational support structures, and a waterfowl decoy is attached to the flexible line. The method includes applying a first tangential pulling force to the loop to cause the loop to rotate about the rotational support structures in a first tangential direction until the waterfowl decoy is positioned adjacent the first position. A second tangential pulling force is then applied to the loop to cause the loop to rotate about the rotational support structures in a second tangential direction to move the waterfowl decoy from adjacent the first position to adjacent the second position.
In preferred embodiments, the first position is elevated high above the surface of the water, the second position is near the surface of the water, and the two positions are horizontally separated by about 50-200 yards Thus, as the loop rotates in the second tangential direction, the descent of the decoy from the first to the second position simulates a waterfowl descending to and lighting upon the surface of the water.